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bultaoreunheyyy · 15 days

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Sleepyhead

Title: Sleepyhead

Word Count: 2261

Summary: Nothing can wake a sick Taehyung up when he’s sleeping, except for maybe a sneeze.

Sickie: Taehyung (snz/cold/flu)

Caretakers: Jimin, plus the others

A/N: I wrote this with Taehyung as the sickie, since he was #2 in this poll, and also wrote it with Jungkook (#1 in poll) for an upcoming scene in long sickfic w/out title so stay tune for that soon!

Jimin’s legs are falling asleep.

He shifts a bit back and forth on the couch, testing how much he’s going to be able to move without waking Taehyung, who’s currently using his lap as a pillow, but Taehyung only keeps snoring and doesn’t react in the slightest.

Jimin sets his book on the arm of the couch and slowly unfolds his legs from their crossed position. He stretches one foot out in front of him, then the other, pointing his toes forward and sighing in relief at the pull in his aching muscles. He shifts again, leaning slightly to one side until he feels a satisfying pop in his back. He rolls his shoulders a few times for good measure and then carefully palms Taehyung’s forehead.

Taehyung is still warm, still feverish, but it’s to be expected. Jimin cards his hands through the sleeping man’s hair, smoothing it all back from his face until it’s fanned out around his head.

Suddenly, Taehyung’s nose twitches, and Jimin sighs because he knows what’s coming next. He reaches over and plucks two tissues from the box that’s resting between Taehyung’s arm and the back of the couch, bringing them up to Taehyung’s face as he waits for the inevitable.

Taehyung’s current snore breaks off into a half-snort, half-cough, and his eyelashes flutter. His nose twitches again, his reddened nostrils flaring wide, and then Taehyung sniffles hard enough that his nose scrunches up.

“Poor thing,” Jimin murmurs as he watches Taehyung’s struggle. “Can’t even get a nap in without needing to sneeze.”

Taehyung’s lips part and he sniffles again, the sound more insistent this time. Jimin tucks the tissues around his nose and Taehyung’s eyes open just a fraction.

“Hhng,” he whines softly, congestion stopping the sound from coming out fully.

Jimin peers down at him. “Hey, Tae. Go ahead and sneeze. I’ve got tissues.”

“Huh?” Taehyung’s brows furrow.

Jimin pats him on the chest. “Go ahead.”

“Go…” Taehyung pulls in a shaky breath. “Hhg?”

With a soft laugh, Jimin nudges the tissues against Taehyung’s nose, but the sneeze never comes. Instead, Taehyung lets out a tiny, weak cough and then blinks hard several times, trying to keep his eyes open for long enough to focus on Jimin’s face.

“That tickles,” he whispers, bringing one hand up to paw at his nose. His hand bumps Jimin’s hand and he whimpers when he can’t push the offending ticklish tissues away.

“Oh,” Jimin chuckles, quickly pulling the tissues away from his nose. “I thought you were gonna sneeze. Sorry. Go back to sleep.”

After a long pause, Taehyung tries to open his eyes again. “Don’t wanna…sleep.”

“Do you want to blow your nose first? Here, go ahead.” Jimin situates the tissues around Taehyung’s nose once again. “Blow.”

Taehyung snorts and sniffles but does not blow his nose.

Waiting patiently, Jimin pats Taehyung on the chest again. Taehyung doesn’t respond. With one hand, Jimin fishes his phone out of his pocket to text Jungkook, asking him to bring a cool compress and some other supplies.

Just when Jimin thinks Taehyung has fallen asleep again, he turns his head just slightly and sniffles wetly before he murmurs, “Jimin?”

“I’m right here. Go ahead and blow your nose.”

“Wanna go on a walk,” he murmurs instead after another full minute of silence.

“A what?” Jimin laughs. “Taehungie, dear, you can’t even stand right now. No walks today, okay?”

Taehyung doesn’t hear him. He’s already asleep again.

He doesn’t truly wake up after that for a few more hours, instead drifting in and out of consciousness, feverish and exhausted.

During that time, Jungkook brings a new fever patch and a cool compress along with a much needed cup of coffee for Jimin.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Jimin moans into his coffee cup.

“You’re gonna get sick too, you know,” is Jungkook’s reply. While he’s been very attentive to both his and Taehyung’s needs, continuously checking on both of them and bringing anything Jimin asks for, he’s worried about germs and he’s sure to let Jimin know everytime he comes near.

“I have a great immune system,” Jimin counters.

Jungkook nods knowingly and leans on the back of the couch, his hand traveling to the back of Jimin’s neck. He massages there for a few minutes, and Jimin moans because he’s been sitting on the couch for the entire day and Jungkook’s strong hands know exactly how to find the knots in the neck.

When he’s done, Jungkook reaches down and briefly runs his fingers through Taehyung’s hair in a comforting gesture, but he’s quick to pull away.

“I’m gonna go wash my hands,” he says. “And go breathe some fresh air. Text me if you need anything.”

“Will do,” Jimin replies, smiling gratefully.

Taehyung doesn’t move a muscle, staying sound asleep throughout the entire exchange.

It’s a little while later when Seokjin brings Taehyung’s next dose of medicine out to the living room.

“Has he been this warm this entire time?” He asks Jimin, hand on Taehyung’s forehead.

“No.” Jimin shakes his head. “It’s just in the past fifteen minutes or so that he’s been pretty hot. It’s definitely time for more meds.”

Seokjin slides his hand down to cup Taehyung’s cheek. Taehyung’s eyelashes flutter, but he doesn’t wake, and Seokjin just doesn’t have the heart to wake him up. “He still has fifteen more minutes until he’s due for another dose,” he reasons, pressing the backs of his fingers to the side of Taehyung’s warm neck with a frown. “I’ll go grab him some water first.”

Seokjin brings water and then leaves after about ten minutes, promising to return soon but letting Jimin have the task of waking Taehyung up.

“I just don’t have the heart to wake him,” is his excuse when he looks at Taehyung’s flushed, sleeping face.

“I understand.”

After Seokjin leaves, Jimin realizes he’s starting to sweat under the warmth of Taehyung’s body. He also needs a bathroom break, so he eases himself off the couch and stretches his arms above his head. Taehyung snuffles but otherwise remains asleep. When he returns from the bathroom, it takes Jimin another five minutes to properly coax Taehyung awake, and he only stays awake long enough to let Jimin prop him upright and tip the medicine into his mouth, and then he swallows one single sip of water before he’s out again.

Taehyung is still snoring away in Jimin’s lap when Hoseok and Yoongi return home from their long meeting.

As soon as Hoseok is through the door, Jimin can hear him loudly explaining something to Yoongi, boisterous and full of energy like usual. When Yoongi spots Taehyung asleep on the couch, though, he puts a finger to his lips. It takes Hoseok a second to see him, and when he realizes he spins around.

“Oh! Sorry,” he whispers when he sees Taehyung and Jimin on the couch.

Jimin just smiles and goes back to his book, tightening his arm around Taehyung protectively. Taehyung doesn’t even stir.

When Namjoon comes to find Taehyung, he’s still sleeping in Jimin’s embrace.

“I was thinking of making him a doctor appointment,” Namjoon tells Jimin, keeping his voice low. He settles on the arm of the couch and reaches down, rubbing his hand up and down Taehyung’s arm. “I don’t really want to do it without his input but I haven’t been able to catch him awake all day.”

Jimin chuckles and sets his book down. “I say go ahead and make it. Earlier he was agreeable to the idea of going to get shots and maybe an IV if he wasn’t feeling better.

Namjoon nods. “Okay. Will do. We can always change it later.” Glancing down at Taehyung, fondness mixed with a bit of worry in his expression, he sighs. “And how are you feeling?”

“So far, so good.” Jimin gives a thumbs up. He reaches down and brushes his fingers over Taehyung’s forehead. “Hopefully I’ll avoid catching this. He’s been having a rough time.”

Taehyung murmurs something in his sleep and Jimin draws his hand back. Taehyung remains asleep, though, and soon he goes back, cupping his face and rubbing his thumb back and forth across his fever-hot cheek.

“I’ll text you the details in case you want to share with Tae when he wakes up and I'm not here,” Namjoon says, and then he leaves to make the phone call.

Jimin picks up his phone and sees that he has three texts from Jungkook, all asking if he wants something: want me to pick up more tissues at the store? and want to go to the movies on saturday if tae is better? and I’m by the cafe do u want another coffee?

He’s replying to the texts– yes, sounds fun, and YES PLEASE– when he hears a sound across the room.

“Oh.” Yoongi’s standing in the space between the couch and the kitchen, a cup of steaming hot tea cradled between his hands. “I didn’t realize he was still sleeping.”

“Poor thing is so tired,” Jimin confirms.

Yoongi walks over and sets the tea on the coffee table and then disappears back into the kitchen. A short while later, he returns with two more mugs, one for himself and one for Jimin.

They sit and sip on their tea. Taehyung sleeps on. Even when they’re done, and Jimin is ready to get back to his book, Taehyung is still asleep, snoring away with his head in Jimin’s lap.

“I’ll make him more when he wakes up,” Yoongi says with a small smile. He picks up the mug, freezing when Taehyung suddenly sniffles.

Jimin looks down and sees Taehyung’s eyelashes fluttering. He reaches down and rubs his chest, waiting for him to fall back asleep or wake up. Yoongi sets the mug back down on the coffee table in case it’s the latter, and Taehyung’s lips part with a small whimper.

“Hey,” Jimin says, rubbing his chest some more. “It’s okay, Tae. You can go back to sleep if you want.”

Taehyung’s eyebrows furrow. “Nnndhh.”

“Shh, you’re okay.”

Taehyung’s nostrils flare, and Jimin’s eyes widen. “Oh!” He quickly grabs a tissue and holds it up to Taehyung’s face. Nose twitching, Taehyung sucks in a breath, and then his eyes flutter open only to slam shut in the next second as a massive sneeze barrels out of him.

The sneeze is so loud that it makes Jimin’s ears ring and Yoongi, despite having seen it coming, clasps a hand to his chest in surprise.

A minute later, Namjoon, Hoseok and Seokjin all come out to check on Taehyung.

“Sounds like someone is awake,” Namjoon says with a smile.

“That was some sneeze, Tae,” Hoseok comments. “Bless you!”

Jimin and Yoongi chuckle and watch as Taehyung sniffles and paws at his nose, eyes half closed.

“Still waking up,” Namjoon amends his earlier statement.

There’s a sudden loud knock on the door– it sounds more like a kick– and Seokjin hurries over to check the peephole. He opens the door immediately to reveal Jungkook standing there with two trays filled with various to-go beverages.

“Sorry,” he grins. “I didn’t have any hands to knock.” He looks past Seokjin and spots Taehyung sitting up on the couch, hair sticking up in all directions as he scrubs at his red nose. “Oh, shit, did I wake him up?”

Seokjin shakes his head. “Nope, he just woke up a few minutes ago.” He takes one of the trays and carries it into the living room.

Jungkook passes out iced coffees to everyone, and a cup of hot tea to Taehyung. “The barista said it’s sweet, but good,” he says, and Taehyung smiles blearily up at him before taking a sip. He still looks half asleep, and a minute later he’s handing Jimin his cup and sliding back into a reclining position.

“Anyone want to keep me and Taehyungie company?” Jimin asks the room. “We can put on a movie?”

Jungkook nods and chooses the seat furthest from the pair. He pulls his knees to his chest, sipping on his iced coffee and giving a pleased hum.

Taehyung is asleep again before the movie even starts. They keep the volume low, but Taehyung is a dead weight against Jimin, snoring softly and not so much as flinching even when one of them laughs or the movie gets loud. As the movie is ending, though, he moans softly, his eyelashes fluttering. Jimin runs his fingers through his hair and smiles down at him.

“You waking up, sleepyhead?” He asks.

Taehyung’s face scrunches up. He doesn’t open his eyes, but he rolls over halfway until he’s on his side, nuzzling his nose against Jimin’s stomach. He sniffles, a low whine in his throat when Jimin pats his hip.

“Let’s get you to your bed, hmm?”

Very slowly, Taehyung opens one eye, then the other. He peers up at Jimin and hunches forward like he’s trying to curl up into a ball. He starts to move one hand up towards his face, but it smacks into Jimin’s elbow. He whimpers congestedly in frustration.

And then, he sneezes.

It’s not particularly loud, as far as a Taehyung-sneeze goes, but it is aimed directly at Jimin, completely uncovered, and forceful enough that it shakes the entire couch.

For a moment, there’s nothing but silence.

“Wow,” Jungkook eventually says from across the room. He has a blanket wrapped around his entire head and body like he thinks it might help shield him from the germs. “Ohh, yeah. You are so gonna get sick, Jimin.”

#bts sickfic #sickfic #bts snz #sick bts #fever #sick taehyung #caretaker jimin #caretaker seokjin #caretaker hoseok #caretaker yoongi #caretaker jungkook #caretaker namjoon #bts hurt/comfort #hurt/comfort #taehyung snz

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bultaoreunheyyy · 3 months

Text

Part 1

the sickfic without a title

part 1 - word count: 5,020

“Go fishing without me, Jinnie. I’m just gonna sleep.”

As soon as Jungkook gets the words out, he yawns, then shivers slightly before leaning his head back against the headboard with a barely-contained grimace of discomfort.

Seokjin takes in his youngest partner’s pale face, the way that he’s wrapping his arms around his midsection like he’s trying to hold himself together, and he frowns deeply.

“I have a whole month to go fishing, baby,” Seokjin replies. He sits down on the edge of the bed and reaches out to cup the side of Jungkook’s face with his hand. His cheeks are warm beneath his palm and Seokjin wonders if there’s a thermometer somewhere in the house. “I’d rather stay here with you if you’re not feeling well.”

Without warning, there are tears trickling down Jungkook’s cheeks and Seokjin startles when he feels them hit the side of his hand.

“Please,” Jungkook sniffles, lip trembling. “I don’t want you to stay here because of me. Please go.”

“Don’t cry,” Seokjin hurries to soothe him. “Okay, don’t cry. Whatever you want, okay?”

Before Jungkook can say anything else, there’s a knock on the door, and then there are five others shuffling into the room, worried expressions and fussing hands reaching out as they surround Jungkook’s bed.

“Why are you crying, Kookie?” Namjoon asks, joining Seokjin on the side of the bed.

“Aw, c’mere.” Taehyung, who is followed by Jimin as he climbs onto the middle of the bed, wraps his arms around Jungkook. He kisses the top of Jungkook’s head and nuzzles into his long wavy hair, and Jungkook lets out a quiet, watery laugh.

“Get off,” Jungkook murmurs, but he leans into the touch anyway. His eyelashes are wet with tears. “What if I’m contagious?”

Jimin hooks his chin over Taehyung’s shoulder and smiles softly at Jungkook. “We’re not worried about that, Jungkookie. We just want you to feel better.”

“What do you need right now?” Yoongi asks from his spot near the foot of the bed. He’s frowning, expression almost angry due to concern. Jungkook almost never gets sick. “Have you taken anything for your stomach yet?”

Hoseok, standing next to Yoongi, nods. “We can go into town and pick up anything you need, Kookie.”

Jungkook sniffles and pulls a sleeve down over his hand so he can wipe the tears from his eyes. He rests his head against Taehyung’s shoulder, looking around the room at all of them and then sniffling again. “I want you guys to go fishing and have fun. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll just sleep this off and tomorrow I think I’ll feel a lot better.”

“Hey!” Taehyung whispers conspiratorially. “Are you just trying to get out of fishing with us?”

Behind him, Jimin snorts, and then breaks out into a full fit of laughter, toppling over onto his other side and causing the others to laugh along with him, until some of the tension and worry in the room seems to let up. Even Jungkook giggles, but he’s still holding his stomach and his eyebrows furrow at the movement as he’s jostled around a little.

Finally, Seokjin rolls his eyes and huffs out a breath. “I’m going to be doing all the work anyway. And none of you will even eat the fish I catch!”

“Of course I’ll eat your fish,” Jungkook responds immediately, but none of them miss the way his face turns an almost greenish shade at the mention of eating.

“Okay, Kook-ah,” Namjoon says, leaning forward to press a kiss to Jungkook’s forehead. “Get some rest. We’ll check on you when we get back, okay?”

Jungkook swallows thickly and nods, then slides down in the bed until he’s flat on his back. They each take a moment to say goodbye to him, kissing him on the forehead and fixing the comforter around him gently, and then they’re leaving, looking no less worried than when they had entered the room.

Three hours later, when the six of them return with seven small fish between them, they find Jungkook in the bathroom hunched over the toilet and throwing up so violently that the sound reverberates throughout the entire lakehouse, alarmingly loud.

“Fuck,” Yoongi hisses, dropping to his knees next to Jungkook and quickly combing his hair back from his face for him, gathering it up into a messy bun that he ties up with one of his bracelets.

Beside him, Seokjin rubs between Jungkook’s shoulder blades. “Oh, Jungkookie,” he murmurs. Jungkook’s shirt is drenched in sweat and Seokjin turns to look over his shoulder, catching Jimin’s eye.

“I’ll go grab a change of clothes,” Jimin nods, already anticipating what he’s about to ask, and he hurries out of the bathroom and down the hall.

“I’m gonna go grab him some water. Be right back,” Hoseok says, leaving after Jimin does.

Namjoon squeezes himself in on Jungkook’s other side, in between the tub and toilet, one hand rubbing up and down Jungkook’s arm while he uses his other to pull his phone out of his pocket. Seokjin doesn’t even have to see his phone screen to know he’s searching on Naver, probably for advice on what to do next.

“Do we have a thermometer here?” Namjoon asks a moment later. “We should check his temperature.”

Taehyung, who’s hovering in the doorway biting down on his lip hard, wrings his hands together. “I’ll go look for one,” he tells Namjoon, and then he heads toward the main bathroom where they keep the medicine and other first aid supplies.

“He’s burning up,” Seokjin notes, his palm still pressed firmly to Jungkook’s back. Jungkook groans loudly and then whimpers before the next round of vomiting hits. Beads of sweat drip down the sides of his face, his neck, and after a couple more long minutes of awful, forceful retching, he sags forward against the toilet, shaking hard and gasping for air.

“You’re okay, baby,” Yoongi whispers, tugging him away from the toilet by the shoulders. “We’ve got you.”

Jungkook starts to sob, then, the sound of his crying pained and raspy. Heat is coming off of him like a furnace and he’s listless in Yoongi’s arms, barely able to hold himself upright. Yoongi holds him to his chest, cupping the back of Jungkook’s head to keep him there, and he looks over to share a worried glance with Seokjin while Jungkook cries into his shirt.

“How long has this been going on, hm?” Yoongi murmurs, tucking his face into Jungkook’s sweaty hair. “Is this the first time you’ve thrown up since we left?”

With a sudden shiver that hits him so hard they can hear his teeth clatter together, Jungkook whimpers and then nods against Yoongi’s chest. His tears and snot are already soaking a spot against the fabric. The three of them move closer towards Jungkook instinctively; Namjoon reaches out to cup Jungkook’s clenched jaw, rubbing gently until he relaxes a little, while Seokjin keeps rubbing his back and Yoong wraps his arms even tighter around the shivering man.

“Here,” Hoseok announces from the doorway. “Got some water.”

He kneels down and waits for Jungkook to lift his head away from Yoongi’s chest. He tips the bottle of water towards Jungkook’s lips, helping him drink, but halfway through Jungkook shivers again and water dribbles down his chin.

“Sorry,” Jungkook hisses, jaw clenched again as a fresh wave of tears roll down his cheeks. “Fuck, I’m so cold.”

“Shh, it’s okay,” Hoseok replies quickly. “I’ll go grab a blanket for you, okay? Then we can try some more water in a few minutes.”

Jimin appears in the doorway then with a fresh change of clothes. He hands them off to Hoseok and wordlessly goes to grab said blanket, and Hoseok and Yoongi help Jungkook strip out of his sweat-soaked shirt so he can change into the dry one. Jungkook shivers the whole time, quiet as he lets himself be manhandled into the new shirt. His skin is hot despite his claims of feeling cold.

“You’re just running a little fever,” Yoongi says when Jungkook is tucked back against his chest. “Once Minnie comes back with a blanket and you sip some more water, we’ll take your temperature and get you some medicine. Okay?”

Jungkook doesn’t react to that. He just lies there against Yoongi, sniffling every minute or so, tears silently falling.

“This came on kind of fast, didn’t it?” Namjoon asks, voice almost a whisper. He’s on his phone again, eyebrows creased together with worry.

Hoseok, Yoongi and Seokjin don’t respond, but they’re all thinking the same thing– none of them have ever seen Jungkook this sick before, and so regardless of the timing, it came on much too fast for any of their liking. Their worry hangs in the air, tense and almost stifling, and they’re all silent until Jimin returns with a blanket.

“Here, Kookie,” he says, joining the five of them on the bathroom floor before tucking the blanket around Jungkook’s trembling shoulders. His mouth falls open in shock when his hand brushes the back of Jungkook’s neck.

“Uh.” Jimin swallows. “Should we…is the blanket too much?” He’s pressing his palm to Jungkook’s neck, then the side of his face, alarmed at the heat he finds. “Shouldn’t we try to cool him down?” He moves his hand to Jungkook’s forehead, then flips it around and feels it with the back of his hand too, like it might make a difference. “He’s really hot.”

Jungkook makes a choking sound, something between a sob and a cough, and Yoongi nearly shoves him in the direction of the toilet in a panic, his body twisting awkwardly so he can prop Jungkook up above the bowl.

Instead of throwing up, though, Jungkook just cries, tears pouring from his red-rimmed eyes.

“I’m not–” Jungkook breaks off with another sob. “I’m just…I’m sorry…you can take the blanket.”

They can barely make out what he’s saying through his cries. Yoongi keeps him in place by the toilet, and Hoseok and Seokjin rub his back, whispering encouraging words as they wait for him to start vomiting again.

After a few moments where Jungkook just cries, and shivers, but doesn’t do much else, Jimin gasps in realization.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry, Kookie. I’m sorry, you’re not too hot! You can keep the blanket, okay? Just, calm down, okay?”

Jimin motions for Yoongi to release Jungkook, and he gathers the younger man in his arms, tugging the blanket snugly around his frame.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers against Jungkook’s ear. “I didn’t mean to worry you, sweetie. You’re not too hot, okay? Just a little bit sick, that’s all. Please stop crying, okay? You can keep the blanket. Is it making you feel better?”

He rubs Jungkook’s back vigorously through the blanket, shoulders sagging in relief when Jungkook nods his head at the question.

“Sorry,” Jungkook rasps. “I can’t stop crying.”

“Cry all you need to,” Jimin tells him. “And you don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“Hey.” Taehyung appears in the doorway, triumphantly holding up a thermometer. “Finally found it.” He looks at everyone and tilts his head to one side. “Why are we all on the floor still?”

Jungkook shivers violently and then groans, but he lifts his head to squint up at Taehyung. “I’m on the floor ‘cause I’m sick. I don’t know about the rest of them.”

Hoseok snorts into a laugh, causing everyone else to chuckle along, but they all stop suddenly when Jungkook groans again.

“Fuck,” he says weakly. “Fuck.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Seokjin murmurs. “Do you need to throw up again? Do you want to try some water?”

The only response he gets from Jungkook is a soft whine and a bout of shivers that shake him and Jimin both.

“Hey, there’s no room for me,” Taehyung says, but squeezes himself next to Jimin and Jungkook anyway, careful not to jostle them as he does. He slips the thermometer into Jungkook’s mouth and maneuvers it under his tongue, and Jungkook gags immediately, eyes flying open wide.

“Shit, sorry–” Taehyung flinches backward, and Yoongi lunges forward to help guide him back over the toilet.

Jungkook grabs onto Jimin’s shirt with both fists and uses what little strength he has left to brace himself against the movement, not letting Yoongi move him.

“No! I’m…” He pauses, takes a breath through his nose. Jimin closes his eyes and waits for the worst.

“I’m not gonna…”

Even though Jungkook is saying he’s not about to throw up, he’s so pale his face matches his white t-shirt, and he’s sweating again, drops of moisture running down his forehead from his hairline. He presses his lips together tightly, nostrils flaring wide as he sucks in another breath through his nose only. A second passes by, and then another, and then he lets out a trembling, shivery sigh.

“I’m good, I just…wasn’t expecting it to be a mouth thermometer,” he finally gets out, voice weak and shaky. His gaze flits over to Taehyung. “Thought it would go on my forehead or something,” he says.

Taehyung nods frantically. “I should have warned you first. I’m really sorry, Jungkookie.”

Yoongi reaches over to push back a few stray sweaty strands of hair off of Jungkook’s forehead. “You ready now? It shouldn’t take too long to get a reading.”

Jungkook nods, and Taehyung eases the thermometer past his lips again, slow and careful with his movements. Jungkook still gags again once it’s under his tongue, but he manages to keep it together, his eyes squeezed shut while they all wait for the thermometer to beep.

“I’m so sorry, love,” Taehyung whispers. “It should just take a second.”

“You’re doing so well, sweetheart,” Hoseok tells him, rubbing his arm.

Fresh tears spill out of the corners of Jungkook’s eyes, down his cheeks, and his lips tremble around the thermometer. When it beeps, Taehyung slides it out quickly and peers down at the number with a frown.

“I can’t stop crying,” Jungkook whispers. “And I can’t stop shivering.”

“That’s okay, baby,” Seokjin replies. He strokes Jungkook’s cheek with the back of his hand. “You cry all you need to, okay? None of us mind. We’re sorry you’re feeling so bad.”

While Taehyung shows Namjoon the number and Namjoon uses his phone to convert the number to Celsius, Jungkook’s sniffles grow more persistent. Yoongi unrolls some toilet paper and uses a wad of it to dry the tears from Jungkook’s cheeks, then wipes gently under his nose. Jungkook is still again, leaning heavily against Jimin’s chest while Taehyung fixes the blanket around him and Hoseok rubs his back.

“It’s not actually very high,” Namjoon tells them once he figures out the conversion. “37.7 degrees.”

“Feels higher,” Jungkook replies miserably. “Hate this.”

Before any of them can respond, Jungkook stiffens, then scrambles to sit upright, and he frees one arm from the blanket so he can clamp a hand over his mouth. Yoongi, still on high alert from before, peels the blanket the rest of the way off and tosses it to Hoseok, then wraps an arm around Jungkook’s waist, shuffling on his knees as he guides him back next to the toilet.

Jungkook’s entire body is so tense that they can see the muscles on his neck staining, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tries not to take in too deep of a breath. His eyes are wide and panicked, and his stomach makes a loud gurgling noise.

“Let’s give him some space,” Seokjin whispers, tugging Taehyung and Jimin off the floor and leading them out into the hallway.

Hoseok follows too, and he leans against the doorframe with the still-full bottle of water in his hand, watching anxiously as Jungkook finally has to give in to his body’s demands and begins to hurl into the toilet bowl.

When he’s done, Jimin grabs a washcloth and wets it with warm water, handing it down to Namjoon, who’s still on the floor with Jungkook. Namjoon wipes Jungkook’s chin with the cloth while Yoongi pulls more toilet paper off the roll to dry Jungkook’s tears and wipe his nose.

A shudder runs down Jungkook’s spine and he snuffles miserably into the wad of tissues that Yoongi holds to his face.

“Fuck,” he croaks. “Hate this.” The last word breaks off into a sob that sounds so sad it brings tears to Yoongi’s eyes.

“Baby, I know,” he coos, wiping his eyes discreetly and rubbing Jungkook’s back. “This sucks. I’m so sorry.”

Jungkook shivers and wraps one arm around his stomach with a wince.

Before anyone can really say or do anything else, Jungkook gags loudly, and then grabs onto the toilet seat with both hands to brace himself.

Namjoon can’t help the shocked expression that crosses his face. “Again?”

Jungkook doesn’t even have time to nod.

There’s not much left for him to get up. When he’s done dry heaving, he lets him fall sideways into Namjoon’s body, his head lolling to the side. Namjoon cards his fingers through Jungkook’s sweat-drenched hair– only half of it is still tied up with Yoongi’s bracelet– and presses a kiss to his temple.

“Let us know if you think there’s more,” he whispers.

Jungkook moans loudly at that, his voice broken and crackly. “No, fuck. I hope not,” he says. “Fuck.”

They stay there for a few more minutes while Jungkook catches his breath, Namjoon and Yoongi on the floor with him while Hoseok, Seokjin, Jimin and Taehyung wait just outside the bathroom. Eventually, Seokjin kneels back beside Jungkook and takes one of his hands, squeezing gently.

“Do you think you can stand up? We’ll get you back into bed.”

Jungkook nods, but it takes three of them to get him off the bathroom floor and help him stand. Seokjin and Namjoon get under his arms on either side of him and they start to guide him out of the bathroom, watching with worry as his legs visibly shake and his chin drops to his chest as if he doesn’t have the strength to even hold his head up.

Jimin goes into the bathroom as they leave and flushes the toilet, and he’s opening the cabinet under the sink to check for cleaning supplies when Jungkook stops walking and glances back, tears filling his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers hoarsely, and then he’s crying hard, body shaking with the effort. “I’m sorry, I–”

“Don’t apologize, sweetie,” Jimin cuts him off. “You’re sick and it’s not your fault. I don’t mind cleaning up a little, okay?”

“You’d do the same for any of us,” Hoseok says, ducking down to meet Jungkook’s watery gaze. “We just want you to rest and feel better. Okay?”

Jungkook sniffles and nods, but tears are still pouring down his face when he starts walking again. They’re halfway back to Jungkook’s bed when his entire body tenses, and that’s the only warning they get before he’s vomiting again, held up on either side by Namjoon and Seokjin gripping his elbows so he doesn’t hit the ground when his knees buckle.

That had been the start of their month-long vacation at the lake.

Now, three days later, there’s no doubt that this is something Jungkook can’t just sleep off.

In fact, he hasn’t gotten much sleep at all since becoming sick– none of them have, really– but he’s so tired he can barely get out of bed. By the third day of his illness, they’ve all developed a sort of routine taking care of him, bringing him water and medicine and small amounts of food around the clock even though he can’t keep much down. They all have plenty of practice taking care of each other, and even though they can count the number of times Jungkook’s been sick since they’ve been dating on only one hand, they easily fall into roles like they’ve been assigned them.

“I brought some crackers,” Hoseok announces hesitantly, knocking on the open door and peeking into Jungkook’s room. “And some broth.”

He can tell that Jungkook is biting back a response, his two front teeth digging into his lower lip and his eyebrows drawing together just slightly in the middle.

“I know, I know,” Hoseok sighs. He makes his way over to Jungkook, setting his tray down on the nightstand before settling down on the edge of the bed. “But I also bring kisses and hugs.”

The covers are pulled all the way up to Jungkook’s chin. Hoseok pulls them down just enough to help guide Jungkook a little higher on the bed, stuffing a pillow between him and the headboard so he’s halfway propped up. Jungkook shivers at the loss of blankets even though he’s wearing a hoodie. Hoseok presses a kiss to his warm forehead, and then another kiss to his cheek.

“Sorry,” he whispers afterward, patting Jungkook’s chest. “Just a few crackers, okay?”

He holds up a cracker. He’s found that Jungkook is much more willing to eat if he doesn’t have to feed himself, and he seems to be more willing to let Hoseok feed him out of all of them.

Jungkook swallows thickly, then closes his eyes and lets his mouth fall open with a tired sigh. When Hoseok slides the cracker between his front teeth, he dutifully bites down, taking the tiniest bite he can get away with and chewing it slowly. Hoseok can hear his breathing pick up as he eats, his breath puffing in and out of his nose while he keeps his lips pressed together, a tight thin line.

Hoseok brushes his fingers against the little crease between Jungkook’s eyebrows once he has eaten one single cracker. It takes him several minutes to finish, and when he’s done he’s looking much paler than before.

“How about a second one?”

Jungkook’s chin begins to tremble. He opens one eye to squint up at Hoseok.

“You’re doing so good, love,” Hoseok whispers. “So good.”

It’s enough encouragement, apparently, for Jungkook to keep going. He eats another cracker, and then a third, and then he lets Hoseok hold a mug of warm broth to his lips.

Hoseok kisses the tip of Jungkook’s nose when he finishes the crackers and a few sips of broth.

He holds Jungkook’s hand while he takes deep breaths through his nose to quell the nausea that arises almost instantaneously after he adds a sip of water on top of it.

And five minutes later, when Jungkook is throwing it all back up, Hoseok rubs his back and whispers apologies and holds his hair back from his face.

In the late afternoon, Jimin grabs two water bottles from the fridge and makes his way into Jungkook’s bedroom.

“Hey,” he greets the younger man when Jungkook yawns and looks up at him sleepily from where he’s curled up on his side, blankets clutched tightly to his chest.

There’s a sheen of sweat on Jungkook’s face and Jimin frowns, glancing down at the thermometer on the nightstand. He sets one of the bottles of water down and wipes the condensation from his hand on his pants, then settles in the chair that one of them had placed next to Jungkook’s bed at some point.

“How are you feeling?” He asks, pressing his palm to Jungkook’s forehead. “Do you think you could drink some water for me?”

Jungkook’s skin is hot and his face is flushed pink. He yawns again and warily eyes the bottle of water that Jimin holds out toward him until Jimin clears his throat and motions for him to sit up a little.

Sitting up seems to take a lot of effort out of him. As soon as he sips enough water for Jimin to be satisfied, he slumps back down against the pillows, tugging the blankets up until only his nose and eyes are visible. Jimin can’t help but reach out and put his hand on Jungkook’s forehead again, and even though worry twists in his gut at the warmth he feels, he smiles when Jungkook leans into the touch with a relieved sigh.

“Can you…keep it there?” Jungkook asks, and Jimin nods, adjusting his palm to cover all of Jungkook’s forehead. He brushes his thumb over his brow in a soothing motion and smiles when less than a minute later, Jungkook appears to fall asleep, soft snores drifting through the air.

After a few minutes, Jimin feels his arm growing tired, but he doesn’t dare move his hand and risk waking Jungkook up. He clears his throat again, then looks around until he finds the second bottle of water he’d brought in the room with him. Uncapping it with one hand, he chugs the water down until the bottle is empty. Just as he’s finishing it, Jungkook startles awake, entire body jerking with a shiver.

“Ugh,” he groans, shivering again and curling up as tightly as he can. “My face is hot but everything else is cold.”

Jimin tuts sympathetically and presses the backs of his fingers to Jungkook’s cheeks.

“Yeah, your face is pretty warm. Want a cool cloth?”

Jungkook shakes his head. “No. Too cold.”

Jimin chuckles. “Aw, sorry, Kookie. I wish there was a way I could make you feel better right now.”

“You are making me feel better,” Jungkook responds quietly. His tongue darts out to wet his lips. “My lips hurt,” he croaks after a moment. “Sorry. I don’t mean to complain so much.”

Jimin frowns, already patting his pockets. “Complain all you need to. You’re allowed to when you’re feeling so sick.” He pulls a stick of lip balm from his back pocket and leans forward to apply it to Jungkook’s dry, cracked lips. Jungkook tries to rub his lips together afterward, but even that seems like a great effort for him so Jimin uses his pinky to help spread it around evenly.

“Thank you.” Jungkook swallows, then swallows again. Calmly, albeit shakily, he pushes himself up onto one elbow. “I’m gonna throw up.”

They make it to the bathroom just in time. All that comes up is bile and water, and Jungkook cries in between each heave, his nose runny and his eyes puffy and red.

Namjoon comes to check on them just as Jimin is flushing the toilet and Jungkook is blowing his nose. He helps Jimin get Jungkook to his feet, and then they both tuck him into bed, settling on either side of him and running their fingers through his hair while he shivers and drifts off into a fitful state of half-consciousness.

“I’m awake.”

Seokjin freezes, one hand hovering above Jungkook’s face as he switches out the cloth on his forehead for a fresh, cool one. It’s the middle of the night, and moonlight spills into the room through the large window opposite the bed.

“Hey, Jungkookie. How are you feeling?”

“Don’t want that,” Jungkook grumbles in response, eyes still closed. He flinches when Seokjin adds another wet cloth to the side of his neck that’s most exposed. “Too cold.”

“I know, hun,” Seokin sighs. “But your temp is up a little and I’m worried about you overheating.”

“I’m not gonna overheat. I’m too fucking cold.”

Seokjin sighs. He drags a hand down his face and watches Jungkook shiver and reach up to remove the cloth from his neck, his eyes squeezed shut the entire time. “No need to bite my head off,” he murmurs softly.

Jungkook is silent for a long moment. When he opens his eyes, Seokjin can see tears shining there.

“I’m sorry,” he says. His shivers hard and his teeth chatter. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I don’t want the washcloth.”

“Apology accepted,” Seokjin replies. “I’d be grumpy too, if I were you. Also, you’re too stubborn, you know that?”

“I’m not grumpy,” Jungkook huffs. “I’m not stubborn.”

Seokjin bites back a smile. “Okay, well, you’re running a high temperature and that’s a fact. I’ll take a reading right now so you can see for yourself.”

Jungkook is quiet as Seokjin takes his temperature. He’s quiet when Seokjin shows him the reading. He’s quiet when Seokjin moves the cloth back to his neck and presses a kiss to the tip of his nose afterward, but he’s shivering harder now, chills wracking his body. In the moonlight, Seokjin can see a single tear slide down his face, and when he reaches out to brush it away with his thumb Jungkook turns pleading eyes on him.

“Please,” he whispers, voice thick with sleepiness and desperation. “I’m too cold.”

Jungkook’s teeth are suddenly chattering louder than Seokjin’s ever heard anyone’s teeth chattering before, and it’s unsettling. He relents, removing both the cloth from Jungkook’s forehead and the one from his neck, and then he fetches another blanket even though it feels like he shouldn’t be adding any more layers. He tucks it around Jungkook’s body carefully, smoothing it out to keep his hands busy, heart pounding at the way Jungkook is shaking so hard.

“Fuck.” Moments later, even though he’s still shaking violently, Jungkook is pushing the blankets off. “Fuck.”

“Are you still cold?” Seokjin asks uncertainty, and even though Jungkook shakes his head, he’s still shivering violently.

“My insides are burning up,” he chokes out, and another shiver wracks his body. “I’m…fuck, I don’t know. I’m cold and hot,” he whimpers. His breath catches, breaks off into a sob. “I’m so cold.”

Seokjin grabs one of the wet cloths again and gently wipes it over Jungkook’s forehead, from his temple down his cheek, across his pulse point under his jaw. He feels helpless, at a loss for words in a way that he usually isn’t, intense worry twisting in his gut. He swallows back the sudden urge to cry and pulls his phone from his pocket.

By the time Jungkook announces he’s going to puke, Seokjin has already texted for backup, and Yoongi arrives just in time to help him haul Jungkook to the bathroom.

Afterward, when Jungkook is slumped over both of their laps on the bathroom floor, Seokjin presses another cool cloth to his forehead and Jungkook doesn’t have any energy left in him to protest.

Part 2

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